An intense debate has sparked in Islamabad since the proceedings around the passing of the 27th constitutional amendment began. Moved by Law Minister Azam Nazeem Tarar, the bill received a two-thirds majority in both the upper and lower houses of the Parliament. The bill is aimed primarily at overhauling the military command structure, revising judicial arrangements, and adjusting federal-provincial relations. While the governing coalition has argued the necessity of the amendment to improve governance, critics fear it will place the judiciary under executive control, further eroding Pakistan’s already dwindling judicial independence.

Under Article 239 of the Constitution of Pakistan, any amendment must secure a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and the National Assembly. The government leveraged its coalition strength to advance the bill rapidly, with the Senate approving the 27th Amendment on November 11, 2025, by a 64-0 vote following an opposition walkout. The National Assembly session followed on November 12th, with the bill gathering 234 votes. With amendments proposed by the National Assembly currently under review in the Senate, the amendment is just short of presidential assent to become law. 

Some of the key changes proposed by the amendment include establishing the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), a new apex court separate from the Supreme Court, which will handle constitutional interpretation and intergovernmental disputes. Its decisions will be binding on all courts, including the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The FCC’s Chief Justice will serve a fixed term, with retirement age increased to 68 as compared to 65 for the Supreme Court. The amendment has also restructured the judicial appointment process under Articles 199-200 to increase federal input; for example, the senior-most Supreme Court judge will head the Judicial Commission and the Supreme Judicial Council. Provincial cabinets’ size limits are raised from 11% to 13% of assembly........

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